Speaker Series: How Cities Affect Climate and How Trees Can Help

It is well known that climate is changing. One of the most well-understood aspects of such change for scientists is urbanization. However, the public may not be as aware of all of the ways cities can affect weather and climate. Cities modify temperature through urban heat islands, alter the natural water (floods, rainfall) and carbon cycles, and increase air pollution.

Join Trees Atlanta for this exciting talk, which will discuss the simple to complex ways cities affect our climate and how trees can mitigate some of these changes. Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd is a leading international expert in weather and climate and is the Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor of Geography and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Georgia. Dr. Shepherd was the 2013 President of American Meteorological Society (AMS), the nation’s largest and oldest professional/science society in the atmospheric and related sciences. Dr. Shepherd serves as Director of the University of Georgia’s (UGA) Atmospheric Sciences Program and Full Professor in the Department of Geography where he is Associate Department Head. He is also the host of The Weather Channel’s Award-Winning Sunday talk show Weather Geeks, a pioneering Sunday talk show on national television dedicated to science and a contributor to Forbes Magazine. In 2017, he was honored with the AMS Brooks Award, a high honor within the field of meteorology. Dr. Shepherd is frequently sought as an expert on weather, climate, and remote sensing. He routinely appears on CBS Face The Nation, NOVA, The Today Show, CNN, Fox News, The Weather Channel and several others.

His TedX Atlanta Talk on “Slaying Climate Zombies” is one of the most viewed climate lectures on YouTube. Dr. Shepherd received his B.S., M.S. and PhD in physical meteorology from Florida State University. He was the first African American to receive a PhD from the Florida State University Department of Meteorology. He is also the 2nd African American to preside over the American Meteorological Society. Dr. Shepherd is also a regular volunteer for Trees Atlanta.

Many thanks to the City of Atlanta for their support of this Speaker Series program.

Doors will open at 6:15 p.m. for networking and light refreshments. Presentation will begin promptly at 7:00 p.m.

About Trees Atlanta

Since its beginnings, the primary goals of Trees Atlanta have been to replace trees lost to development, conserve existing trees, protect green space areas, and educate the community’s residents and workers about the many benefits of trees. These actions have resulted in Trees Atlanta becoming one of the most widely known non-profits throughout metro-Atlanta and a highly regarded community steward of our urban environment.

Founded in 1985 by Central Atlanta Progress (the downtown business leaders association), the Atlanta Commissioner of Parks, and the Junior League of Atlanta, Trees Atlanta was initially tasked with improving the tree canopy in downtown Atlanta. Despite the fact that the Atlanta metropolitan area is recognized by the National Forest Service as “the most heavily forested urban area in the country”, the Atlanta Central Business District was severely lacking in trees compared to other major cities across the country and around the world. Trees Atlanta met that challenge head-on, planting 40+ shade trees in downtown Atlanta in its first year. Since then, Trees Atlanta has expanded its focus to the entire metro area (inside I-285), and 126,000 trees later, the mission continues to evolve. Learn more →